Safety features of subcritical fluid fueled systems
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, NM (United States)
Accelerator-driven transmutation technology has been under study at Los Alamos for several years for application to nuclear waste treatment, tritium production, energy generation, and recently, to the disposition of excess weapons plutonium. Studies and evaluations performed to date at Los Alamos have led to a current focus on a fluid-fuel, fission system operating in a neutron source-supported subcritical mode, using molten salt reactor technology and accelerator-driven proton-neutron spallation. In this paper, the safety features and characteristics of such systems are explored from the perspective of the fundamental nuclear safety objectives that any reactor-type system should address. This exploration is qualitative in nature and uses current vintage solid-fueled reactors as a baseline for comparison. Based on the safety perspectives presented, such systems should be capable of meeting the fundamental nuclear safety objectives. In addition, they should be able to provide the safety robustness desired for advanced reactors. However, the manner in which safety objectives and robustness are achieved is very different from that associated with conventional reactors. Also, there are a number of safety design and operational challenges that will have to be addressed for the safety potential of such systems to be credible.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 106877
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-95-1792; CONF-9407103-; ON: DE95014018; TRN: 95:006680-0014
- Resource Relation:
- Journal Volume: 346; Conference: International conference on accelerator-driven transmutation technologies and applications, Las Vegas, NV (United States), 25 Jul - 1 Aug 1994; Other Information: PBD: [1995]; Related Information: Is Part Of AIP conference on accelerator driven transmutation technologies and applications, Las Vegas, Nevada, July 25-29, 1994; Schriber, S.O.; Arthur, E.; Rodriguez, A.A.; PB: 958 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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